Industry data released Tuesday showed Hyundai’s U.S. retail sales in January totaled 60,794 vehicles, up 2.4% from 59,355 a year earlier.
Sedan sales, including the Sonata and Ioniq 6, fell 12.6% to 13,569. But RV sales — including SUVs such as the Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade — rose 7.8% to 47,225, accounting for 77.7% of Hyundai’s U.S. sales.
A Hyundai official said the Santa Fe and the all-new Palisade stood out, strengthening the company’s position in the family SUV segment. Hyundai’s U.S. market share in January rose 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier to 5.5%.
Hyundai has been setting annual sales records in the United States. Last year, its U.S. sales rose 7.9% from a year earlier to 984,017 vehicles, and it surpassed 1 million on a wholesale basis.
Hybrids have also been a major driver. Since launching Sonata Hybrid sales in the U.S. in 2011, Hyundai has sold a total of 1,014,943 eco-friendly vehicles — including hybrids, EVs and hydrogen vehicles — through last month. Hybrids accounted for 759,359 vehicles, about 75% of the total. In January alone, Hyundai’s U.S. hybrid sales jumped 51.9% from a year earlier to 14,316.
The Tucson Hybrid, introduced in the U.S. in 2021, has sold 233,793 units through January, the company said.
According to the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association’s “2025 U.S. Electric Powertrain Vehicle Market Analysis,” U.S. sales of eco-friendly vehicles rose 12.7% last year to 3,575,924 despite slower EV sales, helped by strong hybrid demand. Hybrid sales climbed 27.6% to 2.05 million.
Hyundai said it plans to broaden its lineup and strengthen local production as the market shifts. In the U.S., it currently sells four hybrid models, seven EV models and one hydrogen fuel cell model. The Palisade hybrid, launched locally last year, won the utility category at the “2026 North American Car of the Year” awards, citing strong reviews of Hyundai’s next-generation hybrid system.
Hyundai also plans to add hybrid production by introducing a mixed-model production system at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, its EV production hub. It aims to expand annual capacity to 500,000 vehicles from 300,000.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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